5 Cafes Buzzing in the East of Singapore

You know your neighbourhood’s getting cooler when hipster cafes are popping up all over the woodwork. We bring you 5 cafes in the East of Singapore that you must check out.

1. The neighbourhood joint

Tucked away in a cosy corner of the Bedok North area, To-gather café, which is named after the concept of the old children’s song, “The More We Get Together”, evokes a homey vibe – inspirational quotes and poems line almost every wall of the café, which includes a feature wall plastered with post-its containing notes, confessions and more quotes written by its customers.

While we didn’t get to try its mains, its desserts – warm chocolate lava cake and chocolate brownie – hit the sweet spot after our dinner. With prices ranging from $7.90 for pasta dishes to $3.90 for desserts, we say the place is pretty affordable.

Backstage café, which is situated in the Kallang industrial area, offers a cool respite for those seeking a break from the weekly humdrum at work. While it didn’t get off to a stellar start (diners had to wait for about 45 minutes or more for their meals when the café first opened), we think it’s coming along well.

Look out for its Duck Confit ($18), Roasted Spring Chicken ($15) and Beef Burger ($17) for its mains. For dessert, you shouldn’t miss the café’s rainbow ($7.50 a slice) and red velvet cakes ($6.50 a slice).

If you’re looking for a café to grab Instagram-worthy pictures, Fart Tartz’s probably it. The café first grabbed our attention with the rows of adorable-looking mudpies ($5.50 each) that look like potted plants and cakes in old-school glass jars, but there’s definitely more to it.

The friendly owner, who opened the café two months ago with his wife, is kept so up-to-date with the latest Insta-worthy trends, he even helped us style our tray of goodies. Plus, we are happy to report that we enjoyed every last bite of the mudpie we had. Consider us impressed.

A café that serves adorable 3D latte art, how cute is that? We found Chock Full of Beans sitting in a quiet corner of Changi Village (right next to the hawker centre), and were drawn toward the latte art that was on display.

While we were bowled over by the baristas’ serious attention to detail, we also enjoyed the cafe’s Iced Rose Latte and Lychee Lime Cooler. If you’re there for a meal, Chock Full of Beans serves mains and desserts, too.

With wooden tables and bar-top counters, hanging lightbulbs, flower arrangements in glass bottles and menus on wooden clipboards, Percolate Coffee doesn’t seem to be any different from one of the cafes that are popping up all over the woodwork these days. The twist? It’s located in the middle of a seemingly quiet neighbourhood, which is a boon for east-siders, as there’s no need to travel all the way to the city to get our hipster caffeine/dessert fix.

Its reasonably-priced coffees (the barista was formerly from Loysel’s Toy, so there’s really no excuse for poor coffees here!) and pastries have received rave reviews from its customers. If you happen to be around the area, it’s a pretty cool place to chill with your friends, or relax with a good read, if you’re alone.

About the writer:
Amanda Tan has written pieces for several publications, which include stories on food, lifestyle and beauty. She believes life is too short for regrets, and hopes to live in London (just for the experience). She is also a self-professed cake addict, and can never resist a slice, at any time of the day. If you’d like to share life hacks, travel tips and general advice, you can drop her a note [email protected]

1 COMMENT

Great list you got here. Aside from this great cafe places, I also recommend you to take a visit at Necessary Provisions, this can be considered as Singapore’s hidden gem, you will surely love to taste their iced espresso and milk. Artistry is another wonderful place, you will surely be mesmerized by the artistic design of the place.